Ukraine demands heavy weapons for Sievierodonetsk

Ukrainian soldiers are delivering in Sievierodonetsk one of hardest battles since the war began to fight Russian forces now control large parts of the city, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

We defended our positions, which resulted in a severe defeat to the enemy. It was a very difficult battlesaid the Ukrainian head of state in a video released Wednesday night, in which it is judged fate of the vast coal basin of the Donbass playing in Sievierodonetsk.

The seizure of this city would be a decisive step for Moscow to cover the whole of Donbass, partially held since 2014 by pro-Russian separatists, reinforced by Russian troops after the invasion on February 24 last .

However, Ukraine could capture Sievierodonetsk in 2, 3 days once it had western artillery weapons long rangesecured on Thursday Sergueiï Gaïdaï, governor of Lugansk, one of the two regions of Donbass.

Faced with pressure from troops in Moscow, Ukrainians continue to ask their Western allies for more powerful weapons than the lower range at their disposal.

The delivery of multiple rocket launcher systems, with a range of about 80 km, slightly larger than Russian systems, has been announced by Washington and London, but it is unclear when Ukrainians will be able to start using these. ito.

Civilians imprisoned

According to Governor Gaïdaï, street fights and Russian bombings constant continue on Thursday in the Sievierodonetsk areas that are still under Ukrainian control.

The Russians are fighting there in a way very primitive heavy shooting with artillery, before sending their troops to try to breach Ukrainian lines, he said.

” Our forces push them back, then artillery fire continues, and it goes on like this all the time. “

Last week, Sievierodonetsk seemed to be on the brink of collapse with the Russian army, but Ukrainian troops resisted and won, despite their numbers being outnumbered. However, Russian forces are returning to the ground.

About 800 civilians were trapped at the city’s Azot chemical plant, where they took refuge, according to the lawyer of a Ukrainian tycoon whose company owns the installation.

Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed this information.

On Wednesday night, Russian forces bombed Azot at least twice, especially hitting an ammonium production center, the Ukrainian presidency said on Thursday.

Lyssytchansk, a nearby town of Sievierodonetsk, is fully controlled by the Ukrainian army, but is also subject to bombings. powerfulsaid Governor Gaidai, accusing Russian forces of targeting sadyang hospitals and humanitarian aid distribution centers.

While many civilians fled to Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, several thousand remained there - the elderly, people caring for them or people unable to move elsewhere.

Every day there is shelling, every day there is burningtestifies to Yuri Krassnikov, who sits in a district of Lysytchansk with many destroyed buildings and burned pavilions, as artillery rang out not far from there.

no one will help melaments this retiree feeling abandoned.

The intensive Russian bombing of Donetsk, the other Donbass region, also continued. all along the front lineaccording to kyiv, which has recorded 4 dead and 11 injured in the past 24 hours.

In the city of Bakhmut, a school was completely destroyed by bombing on Wednesday, where burnt books were found in rubble, according to journalists fromAFP. No injuries or deaths were reported.

Moscow’s forces have only made slow progress so far, leading Western analysts to say that the Russian invasion launched on February 24 has been a war of attrition, with limited progress achieved. at the cost of massive destruction and severe losses.

Impasse in the export of cereals

More than 100 days after Russia’s offensive, the consequences of the war continue to worsen in the world, both in terms of finance and food and energy, affecting 1.6 billion people, Secretary General I ’alerted Wednesday.UN Antonio Guterres.

For people around the world, war threatens to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and misery, leaving social and economic turmoil.warned Mr. Guterres

There is only one way to stop this raging storm: Russia’s aggression on Ukraine must stop.

The blocking of the Ukrainian ports of the Russian Black Sea Fleet - starting in Odessa, the country’s main port - paralyzes its grain exports, particularly wheat, which it was before the war towards becoming the third. largest exporter. global.

Countries in Africa and the Middle East were the first to be affected and fear a serious food crisis.

About 20 to 25 million tonnes are currently blocked, quantities that could triplehere in the fall to reach 75 million tons, according to the Ukrainian president.

Because Moscow blames Westerners for the shortfall because of their sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Wednesday to discuss. secure maritime corridors which will allow the transport of grain to the Black Sea to be resumed.

At the request ofUNTurkey offered to assist in escorting sea convoys from Ukrainian ports, despite the presence of mines.

At a press conference, Mr. Lavrov assured that Russia was willing to guarantee the safety of ships leaving the ports of Ukraine [...] in collaboration with our Turkish colleagues.

For Mr. Cavusoglu, Moscow’s request to remove sanctions that do not directly affect its agricultural exports, in order to facilitate Ukrainian exports, is legit.

Rising prices have also hit Russia hard, where inflation has risen to a 20-year high. However, it started dropping in May, still reaching 17.1% over the year, according to official data.

The Institute of International Finance (IFF) forecasts a recession of the Russian economy of 15% this year and a further 3% in 2023.

The war forced an estimated 6.5 million Ukrainians to flee their country and caused thousands of deaths: at least 4,200 civilians, according to the latest report fromUNwhich estimates the actual numbers higherand thousands of soldiers, though the fighters rarely speak of their defeats.